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'John Bull' was an imaginary character who represented England. He is portrayed as an honest, farmer figure, often accompanied by a bulldog. He was depicted as having an inconsistent temperament, apt to quarrelling with his 'best friends', representing countries such as France or in this case his 'younger brothers', who symbolised Ireland, Scotland and Wales. His character became so widely used to represent England that his name appeared in books, plays, periodicals and even political campaigns.